The Catholic church in America was yesterday set to release church teachings on Jews and reconciliation in an attempt to cool religious passions before the release of Mel Gibson's film about Jesus.

With the opening of The Passion of the Christ just one week away, religious denominations were braced for the next stage of the controversy over Gibson's interpretations of scripture.

Gibson, a traditionalist Catholic who refuses to acknowledge church teachings of the past 40 years, has been accused by Jewish organisations of stoking anti-semitism by the way his film presents Jews in the last hours in the life of Christ.

In a defiant television interview this week, Gibson said: "To be anti-semitic is a sin. To be anti-semitic is to be un-Christian, and I'm not."

Earlier, Gibson turned down requests by Jewish groups to add a codicil to the film, in which the director would make an appearance to remind viewers that the Romans killed Jesus.

The refusal - and Gibson's on-screen outburst - has deepened concerns among Jewish groups of a backlash.

Abe Foxman, the director of the Anti-Defamation League, this week appealed to the Vatican to issue a directive to bishops that the film represents Gibson's personal vision of the Gospels.

Although The Passion of the Christ earned an R rating for its violent content, it has been adopted by evangelical Christian and conservative groups previously known for their campaigns against on-screen sex and violence.

This week, the film even piqued the interest of the president's wife, Laura Bush, who is normally adroit at steering away from controversy.

"I think it sounds very interesting and I'd like to see it," she told reporters in Arkansas.

Despite repeated requests, Gibson has refused to show his film to the Catholic church in America before general release.

While he initially struggled to find a distributor, with mainstream networks resistant to the idea of putting a religious film on general release, vigorous promotion by evangelical groups around the country has ensured it a huge audience.

The film is expected to open at 2,000 cinemas - many at full capacity - which means that Gibson stands a good chance of recouping a large share of the $25m (£13m) he invested in the project.